Are you in a hurry and just want to know which budget miter saw is the best? Your #1 choice is Metabo C10FCGS HPT Compound Miter Saw.
As you begin your work as a contractor or woodworking hobbyist, you will find that time-saving power tools become increasingly important. One of those power tools is a miter saw. With so many options available, budget-conscious folks can find it hard to choose. That’s why we created this guide. In this article, you will learn how to select the right miter saw and which specific models are the best budget miter saws on the market right now.
Top Budget-Friendly Miter Saws Compared
Cheap Miter Saw Buying Guide
You may be wondering: do I even need a miter saw? If you are an amateur who doesn’t work with wood all that often, you should probably look for a good budget table saw instead. It can take more time to make repeated crosscuts, but a table saw is a more versatile tool than a miter saw.
Instead, If you are a construction contractor, a homeowner, or a woodworker looking to make projects that require many similar cuts, then you will find great benefit in having even an inexpensive miter saw in your tool arsenal
For a building contractor, the miter saw will allow you to make quick crosscuts on framing timber. It allows you to set the right angle for the miter cut and make those cuts repeatedly. Many of the models available today will also allow you to make compound cuts.
Many woodworking projects and jigs are made using building timber. For a woodworker, the ability to make quick repeated cuts is as important at home as it is to a contractor at the job site.
How to get the best value miter saw
When it comes to buying tools on a budget, there are mainly two schools of thought. This is especially true if you are first starting out.
Start out cheap
For an amateur woodworker who works with wood occasionally, spending as little as possible on a miter saw makes the most sense. You can buy the miter saw that allows you to make the cuts without spending on unwanted extras.
Considering this approach if you’ve only recently started building up your power tool collection. You can have the tool when it is needed, but you will also keep some extra money that can be spent on other tools and necessities.
Start out spending more
For someone like a professional carpenter, spending a little extra on your miter saw would make more sense. The added durability will allow your miter saw to withstand more beating, and any extras like sliding control or a dual bevel will prove beneficial on the job site.
I would suggest this approach if you are starting out as a general contractor or an experienced woodworker. Build quality will be a concern on jobs where your miter saw will be used more often. Also, many features included with more expensive models are added to save time with cuts, a factor that is important with laborers and woodworkers looking to save time.
With either approach, you will learn to use your miter saw properly over time. An advantage of buying a cheap miter saw is that you will discover what you desire from a miter saw. As you gain more experience, you will have an idea of what to look for with more expensive future purchases.
Features To Consider
Safety: Outside of the standard blade guard found on all miter saws, look for features such as electric braking that will allow you to slow the blade down quickly. Another safety consideration is control placement. Make sure that the operating features, especially those dealing with motor power, are easy for you to reach at all times.
Cutting versatility: Compound and sliding control on a miter saw will add to the versatility you have with your cuts. Best compound miter saws allow you to adjust the cutting blade to the left or right, adding additional angles to your cuts. Sliding miter saws allow the blade to travel farther from the fence, giving you the ability to cut wider sections of wood with a single pass.
Blade size: this is another important consideration, with the 10-inch miter saw considered the most popular choice that works well for hobbyist projects. You will see the 12-inch miter saw more often at job sites, where the larger blade can cut through materials such as crown molding. Keep in mind that you can always use a 10-inch blade on a 12-inch miter saw, but not the other way around.
Markings: Markings on the miter saw are important, and it is best if you find a model that has high-contrast markings that are easy to read at various light levels. Settings will often come with detents located on popular angles, allowing you to quickly set the blade at the desired position with just a glance. More advanced models may include technology that helps to set angles near the detents without the blade falling into them.
Cutting guides come in various designs, but the laser guide is found on many models. This places a line on the wood at the point the blade will cut, allowing you to align your project more accurately.
Five Best Affordable Miter Saws: The Reviews
Now let’s take a look at the 5 best inexpensive miter saw models on the market today.
Metabo C10FCGS Compound Miter Saw
- MOTOR: 15 Amp motor delivers high power for the toughest of cuts generating a no-load speed of up to 5,000 RPM
- LIGHTWEIGHT: Only 24.2 lbs. to facilitate maneuverability and portability
- MITER ANGLE RANGE: 0-52 degrees, to the right and left for increased flexibility
Overview
If you are shopping with a small budget, this is the best miter saw under 100 dollars. It may not include many of the bells and whistles found on more expensive products, but it will allow you to make compound cuts with a standard range of miter angles as well.
PROS
CONS
Metabo C10FCH2S – Best Under $200
- 10" Compound Miter Saw with Laser
- INCLUDES: C10FCH2S Miter Saw, 10" 24T TCT Saw Blade, Pivoting Flip Fence, Dust Bag, Vise Assembly (322952), 10mm Box Wrench (940543), 4mm Hex Bar Wrench, Material Support Extension
- MOTOR: 15 Amp motor, powerful for the toughest cutting jobs
Overview
A 10-inch blade will provide you with plenty of cutting depth from most projects and should give you a bit more room for the miter saw on your table.
PROS
CONS
DeWalt DWS715 – Best Budget 12-inch miter saw
- Stainless-steel miter detent plate of 12-inch miter saw blade comes with 14 positive stops
- The mitre saw features the precise miter system and machined base fence support
- Tall sliding fence of DEWALT miter saw supports 5-1/2-inch base vertically
Overview
A more basic 12-inch design from DeWalt, this model allows you to make single bevel, compound miter cut into your wooden projects of various widths. Professional building contractors will enjoy this addition to their power tool arsenal.
PROS
CONS
Genesis GMS1015LC Miter Saw
- Make bevel cuts up to 45 degrees left | perform compound Miter cuts with ease!
- Use compound cutting for crown molding, shadow boxes, Picture frames, and more | the Genesis compound Miter saw is inexpensive and versatile!
- Laser cutting guide for quicker alignment and improved accuracy | Know where the cut will be ahead of time with the integrated laser guide!
Overview
This 10-inch miter saw provides you with a bit more durability than the cheap model above while still keeping things basic. That keeps the price point down on this model and makes it more simple to use.
PROS
CONS
WEN MM1011T 15-Amp 10-Inch – Best Budget Sliding Miter Saw (Under $300)
- Powerful 15-amp motor cuts boards up to 12 inches wide and 3-1/2 inches thick
- Miter 45 degrees in either direction (featuring 9 miter stops) or bevel 45 degrees to the left
- Onboard class II laser guide illuminates your line of cut
Overview
This particular model from Wen is also designed to cut other materials besides wood. This one should give you more options if you ever need to cut
PROS
CONS
Best Budget Miter Saw
- MOTOR: 15 Amp motor delivers high power for the toughest of cuts generating a no-load speed of up to 5,000 RPM
- LIGHTWEIGHT: Only 24.2 lbs. to facilitate maneuverability and portability
- MITER ANGLE RANGE: 0-52 degrees, to the right and left for increased flexibility
While all of the products above stand out for their own reasons, I feel that the Hitachi C10FCGS Compound Miter Saw represents the best budget miter saw on the list. It may not be the cheapest that we reviewed, but it does not suffer from durability issues that the cheaper models may break down from.
This model uses a 10-inch blade, something that will work for most jobs you will encounter at work or in the shop. It also uses a 15 amp electric motor that you will find on the larger 12-inch models on this list.
It includes a laser marking system for greater cutting accuracy, and it provides you with 52 degrees of miter and 45 degrees of bevel angle. The fence used on this model flips to increase its height, providing extra security and support on wider molding pieces.
Finally, this product is budget-friendly for the new construction worker and the guy building a shop at home.
